I just wanted to be like you, dad
by tyleroswald
Summary: Tony comes home to find his daughter messing with his armor system. He's definitely not happy about it, and a lot of things are said in the heat of the moment. But deep down, he cares for her on his own way of parenting. This is part of Jessie Stark's series.


" _ **Jessica Stafford-Hale Stark**_ , what the _fuck_ are you doing?"

I froze.

"What?"

"Don't make me ask again."

Oh, fuck.

At the moment I went downstairs to my father's workshop and tried to access the system he used to control the Iron Man suit, I didn't imagine I was going to get caught. Well, there was a possibility, of course, but it was most probable Pepper would find me than Tony himself. I was used getting inside him system without being caught, done that several times before. The last thing I did was to mess with a few of Dummy's lines of code and program him to go up to my room and bring me food or things I left downstairs and didn't want to get out of my room to catch them.

But it was time to prove that the genes inherited from the 'genius' Tony Stark were somewhere inside my brain. He had graduated from MIT with only seventeen years old, after all. I had already fourteen and done only a few advances in programming and mechanics, I could roughly build a motor and change a few pieces from one of my father's suits.

I wanted more. People around me demanded more. I wanted to know how the deploy system of the armor worked. I wanted to go out in the quiet of the night and fly throughout the bright sky of New York City. D'you know when teens say that they stole their parent's car key? Well, I just wanted the keys to the most expensive and powerful flying suit of armor in the world.

"I was trying to… hack the school's grading system."

"Yeah." He raised a brow, skeptical. My dad was standing still in the doorway, car keys in one hand, his black jacket suit in the other. The tie was loose and the shirt collar had several lipstick marks. I was used seeing him like this. " _ **Pepper!**_ " He shouted.

Seconds later, his P.A. and secretary - but let's be honest, there ought to be something else than just a professional relationship between those two, for God's sake - went quickly downstairs, wearing a white silk robe and trying to wipe out the somnolence of her face.

"Did something happen, Tony?"

"Not yet, but it's about to. Someone here going to regret her actions tonight. But remind me, Pep - how are Jessica's grades in school?" It was clear in his voice that he was a bit alcoholic altered.

"Hm, she's been… exceptional, last time I checked. A+ in every subject, she's just as great as you were." She replied, confused, and crossed her arms, taking the whole scene in and staring at me with an interrogative face.

"So the only _logical_ conclusion here was that you were trying to change your grades to, _what_ , C? Or maybe you're helping a dumb friend? A _boyfriend_? You can't plead the fifth on this, kid, spit it out now."

"Alright! Okay, I get it, I screwed up." I raised my hands on surrender gesture, irritated. "And I don't have any boyfriend. I don't need to hook up with someone 24/7 like you do." Despite that, the main reason boys talked to me in the past year was because I was Iron Man's daughter. They just wanted to see my dad's armor - which in that case the situation was almost close to the women dad usually brings home, except that is not _that_ armor they're actually interested in.

"Go. Upstairs. You're grounded 'til college. And if I catch you messing with the armor's system without my authorization I'll put you at boarding school." Tony said as he finally moved from where he stood, throwing his coat and keys on the nearest table and pointing his finger at me while he spoke.

"Do it, then. You always complain that grandpa was a horrible father but you're almost there too." I didn't even think before spitting out the words.

Instantly, my father's posture straightened up. "You have _**no idea**_ of what you're talking about, Jessica. You don't know what was like to be the son of Howard Stark - and believe, I am not even _**a quarter**_ as bad as he was."

"Yeah, you're not. Cause you're never home anyway. You're always busy doing whoever knows what in some place no one ever knows where. You were never here when I needed you, not that I can recall anyway." I was fighting the tears, there was no use for them at the moment and I certainly didn't wanna cry in front of him. "And when you're home it's all about Iron Man."

"Okay, that's enough. JARVIS, call The Thacher School."

"You NEVER cared about me!" I was shouting at him now. "You NEVER liked me!" Pepper quickly made her way towards me, wrapping me in her arms as I stared at Tony in rage, crying, my fists clenched at the side of my body. I didn't move a muscle when she hugged me.

"You're ungrateful, you know that? You know that _everything_ I do as Iron Man is for your protection. I put _my ass_ on the fire to protect _**you**_ and now say that I never cared about you? I'm gonna send you to a place that'll make you actually _**miss**_ this house. JARVIS, call a military school."

"Howard Stark. That's your name now. Howard, Mr. Howard." A dismissive smile was on my face as the tears went rolling down my cheeks.

"Jessie, stop it, please." Pepper tightened her arms around me.

"Coward Stark. Howard, coward, Howard, Howard, Howard, How-"

"JESSICA SHUT THE FUCK UP _**RIGHT NOW!**_ " Tony screamed and grabbed the nearest piece of metal next to him, throwing it against a monitor and crashing the glass into pieces that were spread in the floor. I jumped at the loud noise, holding my breath and grabbing Pepper's arms. He had one hand on the back of his neck and he turned his back on us, leaning against the table.

"Tony." The redhead's voice was serious. "Enough. Both of you, cut the bullshit."

" _Sir, I have Mr. Fletcher waiting in the line."_ JARVIS interrupted.

"JARVIS, hang up the call." Pepper demanded and my dad turned back to us.

"Pep, don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

"Tony, shut up. _You_ are listening to me right now. Stop. Scaring. Your daughter. She's fourteen- a teenager, for God's sake! And Jessica, you too. Stop the tease, it's enough. You were wrong since the beginning of this." The woman spoke exasperatedly, walking until she stood between me and him.

"So now you're on his-" I started.

"I am _not_ on his side! You're both to blame, just _**shut up**_!"

"Pepper, you're proof that she needs discipline. Reed told me more than once that discipline is essential-" He gesticulated as he walked around the room.

"Essential, but not the only thing. There are two other things he says that must walk alongside the discipline. And I know you remember what those things were, don't you?"

He stared at her in silence and sighed, upset.

"Don't pretend you weren't like this when you were fourteen." Her voice slowly softened, like she was trying to calm him down.

"I was applying for MIT, actually." He tilted his head to her.

"I'm not talking academically."

"Hm." My father glanced at me. I had my arms around me and I was leaned against a table close to where I stood, staring at the floor.

"She's just a teenager. She just wants your car keys. Goddammit, she just wants to be like… you, Tony."

I lifted my eyes to him as if to confirm her words. She was right and I didn't even know how. My feet had been tapping the floor from the moment Pepper let go of the hug, and now she had her back turned on me, talking exclusively to my father. He didn't say a word, but I could see that a lot of things were going through his head. He stared at Pepper for a long time before fixing his eyes on me. Said eyes that were cold and filled with anger were now different. He was still angry, yes, but he wasn't that furious or scary anymore. It was like he was studying me. I sustained his look in silence until he sighed.

"Okay. You wanna be like me?"

After hesitating for a couple of seconds, my head nodded in confirmation.

"So that's the way it's gonna work from now on:" He clapped his hands together and pointed at me with both index fingers. "The young lady is grounded 'til she can solve all equations from my first month at MIT."

"It was- That was not what I was talking about, Tony." Pepper muttered;

"You've saved her ass already, Pep. Let me be a _father_ now."

He walked toward me and put his hands on my shoulders. "I'm sorry if I've been a lousy dad. But never _ever_ repeat that I'm like your grandfather again. You really have no idea what was like living with him." He raised his eyebrow at me, waiting for an answer. "Deal?"

"Deal." I nodded as I stared at the lipstick stains on his white shirt, avoiding his look.

"Great. Now go back to your room." Tony walked away from me and Pepper got closer, placing her hand on my back.

"Let's go?"

"Yeah," I murmured. And well, I wasn't angry or sad at my father. I was... I dunno, a bit ashamed of the things I said to him? Also, a little irritated because I wanted to work on his systems. But it felt like I disappointed him, but all I wanted was his approval. I wanted him to see that I was just as smart as his daughter should be.

Tony sat down close to one of his dismantled cars that stood in the middle of his workshop and pulled out the connecting rod from one of the motors. Before we left, I stopped at the doorstep and turned back to him.

"Dad, I... hm, I lo-" I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry. You're not that lousy as a father."

He turned his chair to face the direction I was standing and winked. "Good night, pumpkin."

And so I went upstairs with Pepper, who wished me a good night and left me alone on my room. For a couple of minutes, I stood there, lying on my bed and staring at the roof. Then I looked out the windows to the sea. Each second that went by seemed like a minute. I had too much energy to fall asleep.

My feet jumped from the bed and took me to the crystal screens in the opposite wall from the windows, that lightened up the room with an artificial blue light after one touch. A notification popped out. There was a new message for me from my father. I frowned.

" _We'll start tomorrow night with Mechanics and Materials I._

 _8 o'clock sharp, don't be late._

 _P.S.: I.. hm, I lo...ve you too, kiddo."_

I couldn't help but smile.


End file.
